Toh Yi residents raise alert over man said to be stalking kids

Man in his 30s allegedly followed girl to her block, also tried to invite boys to his place

- Zaihan Mohamed Yusof

Residents of Toh Yi estate have been told to look out for a bespectacled man in his 30s who was first spotted in July chatting with children to get their telephone numbers.

A group of residents, who call themselves the Toh Yi Residents' Network, put out an advisory after the man allegedly followed a young girl and her helper to their Housing Board block in the estate that same month.

Mr Derrick Tan, who chairs the network, told residents in the advisory that the same man had on separate occasions asked "a group of boys to buy things for him and tried to invite them to his place".

Several residents received the information via a Telegram chat group, said Mr Jeff Escanuela, who has lived in the Toh Yi area since 2007.

Mr Escanuela, a 24-year-old university student, said: "I shared the link to the Telegram chat with my family members as I have a younger sister in secondary school. I just wanted her to be careful."

Teachers at Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School, which is in Toh Yi estate, are also aware of the advisory, according to a staff member who declined to be identified.